Clamp.



J. B. AUFULDISH.

CLAMP.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. I, 191e.

1,265,287. Patented May 7,1918.

UNITED sTATEs PATENT oEEioE. f

JOHN `B. AUFULDISH, OF DAYTON, OHIO.

CLAMP.

` with the upright post, or standard, of the wind shield of an automobile, but it may be used for various other purposes.

The object of the invention is to provide a very strong, rigid clamping device which will iirmly'grip the post, or other member, by which it is supported, in such a manner that it will not be loosened by any jar or vibration to which it may be subjected. A further obj ect is to provide a clamping device having powerful gripping action and capable of exerting a very strong pressureyu on the member to which it is applied; and urther,

to provide such -a clamping device which canbe readily applied to supporting members,

or posts, of different sizes and shapes withf out affecting the` eiiiciency of the clamping action. v It is'also an object of the invention .to

provide a clamp of this kind which will be` very simple in construction and will require but little machining, thus enabling it to be manufactured at a low cost; and further, to so construct the device that it will be of good appearance and will not mar the appearance of the automobile to which it is applied.

In the accompanying drawings Figure 1 is a perspective view showing the clamp applied to a wind shield post and connected witha traiiic signal; Fig. 2 is a sectional view taken transversely of the clamp; Fig. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view taken centrally of the clamp; Fig. Ll isl a transverse sectional view of a slightly modified form of the clamp; and Fig. 5 is a detail view of a clampingblock. f

In these drawings I have, for the purpose 1 of illustration, shown two forms of my invention, 'bothV of ywhich. are designed for use with traiiic signals, and one of which is designed for use with wind shields in which the glass is spaced away from the post fin such a manner that the clamp vmay extend Specication of Letters Patent.

Patented May 7, 1918.

Application led August 7, 1916. Serial No. 113,658.

entirely-about the post, while the other form is designed for use with wind shields in which the glass extends into, or is arranged so close to, the post that the clamping member cannot extend entirely about the post. In both instances the clamp comprises a main portion, which may be termed the housing, having parts Such as the' end Walls of the housing, adapted to be arranged on opposite sides of the post, or other supporting members. A clamping block, or blocks, there being preferably two of them, are interposed between said parts or end walls of the housing and the respective sides of the? post. A suitable actuating device, such as a. set screw, is mounted on the housing for moving one of said blocks relatively to the housing toward the post, thus serving to move both clamping blocks into clamping engagement with the post.

In that form of the device shown in Figs. l, 2 and 3, the housing is substantially rectangular in shape and is adapted to extendv entirely about the post of the windV shield. It is preferably formed in two parts to facilitate the application of the clamp to the 'I post. As here shown the housing comprises an inner part 1 substantially U-shaped in cross section and having its side wall rigidly secured to, and

having at its outer end means for connecting the same withthe traffic signal 3, this means being in the form of a serrated disk 4 having a central 'aperture to receive a bolt'A al. Obviously, f

which is secured to the sign however, the character of the bracket and *the manner4 in which it is attached to the signal form no part of the present invention.

The arms of the U-sliaped inner portion off the housing, which constitute the end walls preferably formed inte-gral with, a supporting bracket for an arm .2

5 thereof, are spaced apart a distance coiisiderably greater than the diameter of the largest supporting member, or post, to which it is desired to'apply the clamp. Coperat`- ing with the inner member of the housing 1 is an outer vmember 6 also U-shaped in cross v section and having its arms or end walls spaced apart a distance sufficient to receive between them the endr walls of the inner member l and to t snugly about the same. The end walls of the two parts of the housiiig,whi`ch combine to forni the end wall of the housing as a whole, are rigidly secured one to the other. Mounted within the hous- .ving and interposed between fthe end walls thereof and the respective sides of the post,

or other supporting member, which is here shown at 7, are clamping blocks', 8 and 9. These blocks have their outer faces and edges shaped to fit snugly within the housing and have theirVin-ner faces shaped to conform to to avoid the necessity of'accurate-machining,

as would be necessary if the entire inner surface of the blocks were to engage the post. A suitable actuating device, or devices, are mounted upon the housing to moveone of said blocks relatively to the housing and into clamping engagement with the post and to thus cause the two blocks to operativelyy engage the post and to exert a powerful gripping action thereon. In that form of the device here shown, this actuating device comprises-,a setscrew l() screw-threaded into the end wall ofthe housing and bearing against the outer surface of the adjacent clampingblock.` By rotating the set screw a very. powerful clamping action can be applied to the clamping block and the block and the end wall-of the housing will be actuated in such a manner as to draw the other clampingv blockl firmly against its side of the post and to cause the post to be gripped between the two blocks. A. suitable jam-nut 1.1y may be applied to the set screw and if desiredl a locking washer 12 may be interposed between the jam-nut and the wall of the housing. ,The number of setfscrews, or actuating devices, which. are employed will depend upon the length of the housing, which may vary to accommodate it to the particular use to which it is to be put. In the present instance I have found it desirable to use two set screws, as shown inV Figs. l and 3. The set screws are preferably screw-threaded into the end walls of both the inner and outer portions of theA housing;- and thus serve to unite these twoy end walls into a single wall without the use of additional .connecting members. By screw-threading the set screw into both members of the housing I also secure an ample number of threads for the set screw so that there is no liability of the threads being stripped. The end wall ofthe two parts of the housing opposite those in which the set screwsare mounted may be secured together in any suitable'manner, preferably screws 13 are passed through thel outer member and screw-threaded into the inner member. In this manner the side walls of the housing are very firmly connected one to; the other and theend walls are prevented from yielding under the pressure applied thereto .and a very' strong housing is provided' which can be readily' separated. to enable it to be applied to the supporting member. Ifvr desired the arm of' the. bracket 2 may be extended about the end walls of the inner member l to. reinforce the same, the end walls of the outer housing being recessed between their ends to receive these extensions, or ribs.

The clamping blocks may be of any suitable .character to accommodate them to the particular housing and the particular supporting member in connection with which they are to be used. Preferably, as above stated, they are shaped. to fit snugly within the ends of the housing and have their inner surfaces shaped to provide adequate gripping'faces to engage the supporting member, or post. They may be retained within the housing, when the actuating devices have been released, in any suitablev manner and in the present instance I accomplish this by providing each block at its upper end with a projection, ory lip, 14, which overhangs the upper edge of the end wall of the inner member of the housing. This construction enables the blocks to be readily slipped into place after the housing has been placed about the supporting member and prevents them from dropping out before the actuating devices vhave been manipulated to move them into clamping engagement with the supporting member. While theA gripping faces of the blocks will, ordinarily, be sufiicient to prevent any slippingor turning of the clamp on the supporting member, it may be desirable, with certain types of supporting members, to provide anl additional gripping device which will bite into the surface of the supporting member., To accomplish this when desirable, I prefer to mount inthe clamping block a pointed pin', which is here shown as screw-threaded into thev block and as having its point extending slightly beyond the gripping surface of the block so as to be forced into the supporting member. These gripping devices, or pins, are-preferably arranged in alinement with the set screws and have their outer ends substantially flush with the outer face of the block, thus the thrustI of they screws is eX- erted directly upon the pins to force them into the supporting member, and further, all liability of the block springing or of it being tilted out of true position.y if the pins were placed.r on one side or the other of the set screws, is avoided. Preferably, the in-v ner end of the set screw contacts with the end of the pin and where the end of the set screw is cupped the end of the pin may extend slightly beyond the surface of the block to enable the central portionofthe end' of the set screw to engage the same.l It is not desirable, however, that the endv of the pin should proj ectr far enough to prevent the set screw from engaging the face of the block.

As shown in Fig. 2, the? side walls of the housing will` engage the adjacent edges of i thus assist in resisting any tendency of the clamp to turn about the longitudinal axis of the same. With many styles of .posts this condition would exist, but where the post is of such a size or shape that it does not engage the side walls of a housing, the clamping blocks may be so shaped as to prevent any turning of the clamp.

Some types of wind shield have the glas inserted'in or arranged very close to the inner edge of the post and it is therefore im` possible to insert the inner portion of the housing between the glass and the post, as shown in Figs. land 2. -I have, therefore, provided a slightly modified form of the clamp in which the innerside wall is omitted, as shown in Fig. 4. As here shown, theV housing `l5 conforms substantially in .shape pins 19, that pin in the block opposite the setv screws being double pointed soas to grip both the end wall of the housing and the supporting member, otherwise the shape of the block is substantially the same as the blocks shown in Figs. 2 and 3, with the eX- ception that they have their inner faces shaped to accommodate them to a round post instead of a post having one side flat.

vIn Fig. 5 I have shown in detail one of the clamping blocks. This block is adapted for use with a supporting member different in shape from that shown in either Fig. 2 or Fig. 4. It will be apparent that a pair of these blocks can be readily substituted for the blocks shown in Fig. 2, thus adapting the clamp for use with a supporting member of different shape. In this manner I am enabled to apply the clamp to a very large variety of supporting members without any change Whatever, except the provision of a set of clamping blocks for each type of supporting member. This is a feature of very great importance in the present instance because the traiiic signal will be largely sold as an accessory for automobiles and must be attached to the wind shield after the au-4 tomobile has left'the factory. If it were necessary to provide a separate clamp for each type of wind shield post the costof manufacture would be very greatly increased and the diiculty of securing a firm, rigid support would be present in connection with the development of each clamp. Vith the present device all that is necessary in lorder to apply it to a post of a differentrv shape is to provide a set of clamping blocks for that post. These blocks are usually castings and the patterns from Awhich they are made are very simple and inexpensive.

The operation and manner of use of the invention can be readily understood from the foregoing description thereof and -it will be apparent that thedevice is very simple inits construction, but is of such a character and the parts thereof are so braced one against the other that it is of a very strong, durable character, and further, that the construction and arrangement is such that a very powerful clamping action may be had, and that, as above explained, it can be very readily applied to posts, or other supporting members, of different shapes.`

I wish it to be understood that I do not desire to be limited to the details of construction shown and described as various modifications will occur to a person skilled in the art, and, further, that the term sup porting member is used to designate the part to which the clamp is to be applied, and the clamp may be applied to said part for any purpose whatever, as for connecting another device or structure thereto, or for the purpose of applying pressure to said part. Y

Having now fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and wish to `secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a clamp, a housing comprising separable parts adapted to receive a supporting member between them, one of said parts having opposed surfaces spaced away from the opposite sides of said supporting member, clamping blocks to fit'within the spaces between said supporting member and the respective opposed surfaces, and means to connect together the two parts of said housing and to actuate said blocks.

2. Inv a clamp, a housing comprising separable parts, one of said parts having opposed' surfacesspaced apart to receive a supporting member between them, clamping blocks adapted to be interposed between said supporting member and the respective surfaces of said partof said housing, said part of said housing and said blocks having coperating parts to support said blocks while the clampn is being assembled, and means to secure the other part of said housingin a position to hold said blocks against lateral displacement, and to cause said blocks to 'grip said supporting member'. f

, In a clamp,-a`housing having parts adapted to be arranged on opposite sides of a supporting member, a clamping block to be movably mounted on said housing between one of said parts and said supporting member, a set screw mounted in said part of said housing to move said block into clamping'engagement with said supporting member', and a pointed pin mounted in said block in alinement with said set screw and having its point projecting beyond the inneil face of said block.

4l. In a clamp, a housing having parts adapted to be arranged on opposite sides of a supporting member, clamping blocks interposed between said parts and said supporting member, one of said blocks having gripping points projecting beyond its inner surface, and a set screw mounted in said part of saidy housing adjacent to said clamping block and arranged in alinementwith said gripping points.

5. In a clamp, a housing having parts adapted to be arranged on opposite sides of a supporting member, clamping blocks to be interposed between said parts and said supporting member, one of said blocks having gripping points eXtending beyond the inner face thereof, and a clamping device mounted on said housing to engage one of said clamping blocks to cause the two blocks to operatively engage said supporting member.

6. In a clamp, a housing having parts adapted to be arranged on opposite sides of a supporting member, clamping blocks to be interposed between said parts and said sup-' porting member, a pointed pin screw-threaded into one of said blocks and having its points extending beyond the inner face thereof, and a set screw screw-threaded into the adjacent part of said housing in alinementA with said pin.

7. In a clamp, a housing comprising a substantially U-shaped portion having its end walls adapted tobe arranged on opposite sides of a supporting member, clamping blocks supported by said housing between said end walls with their inner faces spaced apart, and means carried by one of said end walls to act on the adjacent block to cause the same to approach the other block, said housing having means to preventthe lateral displacement of' said block.

8. In a clamp, a housing comprising a substantially U-shaped portion having its end walls adapted to be arranged on opposite sides of a supporting member, clamplng blocks supported by said housing between said end walls with their inner faces spaced apart, and means carried by one of said end walls to act on the adjacent block to lcause the same to approach the other block, said blocks having means to limit their lengthwise movement in one direction relative to said housing and said housing having means to prevent the lateral displacement of said blocks.

9. In a clamp, a housing comprising a substantially ULShaped portion* having its end' wallsv adapted to be arranged on opposite sides ofV a supportingl member, and a second portion to be secured to thel ULShaped portion to close' the space' between the outer edges of the end walls thereof, clamping blocks supportedby said housing between said end walls with their inner faces spaced apart, and means to cause said clamping blocks to be moved into gripping engagement with said supporting member.

10; In a clamp, a housingl comprising` a substantially U-shap'ed portion, having its` end walls adapted to be mounted on opposite sides of a supporting member, clamping blocks arranged within said housingfnear the end walls thereof and having their inner faces spaced apart, said housing also comprising a second portion adapted to be secured to said housing to close the spaces between the outer edges ofthe end walls thereof and prevent the lateral displacement of said clamping blocks, said clamping blocks having parts coperating with one portion of said housing to support them in position while the two portions are being assembled, and means to move said clamping blocks toward each other to cause them to grip said supporting member.

11. The combination with a bracket, of a clamp comprising a housing having separable parts, one part of said housing being formed integral with said bracket, means for detachably securing the other part of said housing to said rst mentioned part, one of said parts having opposed surfaces adapted to be arranged on opposite sides of av supporting' member, clamping blocks movably mounted between the opposed surfaces of said part and said supporting member, `and means to cause said blocks to be moved into clamping engagement with said supporting member.

l2.y In a clamp, a housing adapted to eX- tend about a supporting member and comprising two substantially U-shaped portions, the end walls of said U-shaped portions overlapping, clamping blocks mounted within said housing, a set screw extending through the overlapping walls of said two parts of said housing at one end thereof, and other means for separably connecting the overlapping portions of said U-'shaped parts at the other end of said housing.

13. In a clamp, a housing comprising a U shaped member having its end walls adapted to be arranged on opposite sides of a supporting member, clamping'blocks arranged between said end walls and having their inner faces spaced apart, a second U- shaped member extending across the open 4 ed to extend about a supporting member and having overlapping portions, a clamping block mounted Within said housing near the adjacent ends thereof, means for connecting together the overlapping portions of said parts at one end of said housing, a set screw extending through the overlapping portions of said parts at the other end of said housing and arranged to act upon the adjacent clamping block.

15. In a clamp, the combination with a housing open atits top and bottom, of a,

pair of clamping blocks loosely mounted therein, the inner faces of'said blocks being spaced apart to receive between them a supporting member and bein provided 'With transverse recesses to divi e the same JOHN B. AUFULDISH.

Gopieskot this patent may be obtained for ve cents each,` by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. 0.? v 

